Crumbling Empire

Road like the surface of the moon A Detroit neighborhood left to ruin Gil at the wheel, showing me the sight Of this crumbling empire Following suit in the Atlantic mirror Under the Byker Bridge, they shiver It's one for me, and one for the dead And one for my crumbling empire I'm not preaching, I'm just talking I don't wear the shoes I used to walk in But I can't help thinking where they'd take me In this crumbling empire My old man worked on the rail yard Getting his trade on the electrical board It got privatized, the work degraded In this crumbling empire My mother delivered most the kids in this town My stepdad drove in a tank for the crown They left them homeless, down and out In their crumbling empire And I'm not preaching, I'm just talking I don't wear the shoes I used to walk in But I can't help thinking where I'd be In this crumbling empire In this crumbling empire In this crumbling empire In this crumbling, in this crumbling empire Earl was a kid when they threw him out Living on the streets down Camden Town Under the arches, strung right out In a crumbling empire Twenty five years on crack and dope Begging to pay for synthetic hope Just another kid failed by these blokes And their crumbling empire I'm not preaching, I'm just talking I don't wear the shoes I used to walk in But I can't help thinking where they'd take me In this crumbling empire In this crumbling empire In this crumbling empire In this crumbling empire In our crumbling empire In our crumbling empire In our crumbling empire In our crumbling empire Hey